Alpha Culinary Love

Jiyeon reluctantly pulled herself away from Yura, her heart still racing from their kiss. As much as she wanted to stay in the moment, she had other responsibilities to attend to — mainly, that ridiculous mission from the system that was still hanging over her head like a sword.

"Alright, I really do have to go now," Jiyeon said, brushing her fingers through her hair and giving Yura an apologetic smile. "The restaurant isn't going to run itself, and we still have to finish preparing for the event."

Yura raised an eyebrow, her lips still curved in that smirk that made Jiyeon's knees weak. "You work too hard."

Jiyeon snorted. "Says the workaholic CEO. You've probably had three conference calls already this morning."

Yura shrugged, her expression amused. "Fair point. Just don't overdo it. I expect you back here tonight."

"Of course, your highness," Jiyeon said with a mock bow before leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Yura's cheek. She turned on her heel and headed for the door, but not before hearing Yura's soft chuckle follow her.

As she stepped out of the mansion and into the fresh morning air, Jiyeon's mind immediately switched gears. The restaurant. The mission. The

damn

system. She let out a sigh as she made her way to her car, knowing that the day ahead was going to be nothing short of chaotic.

She slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. As she pulled out of the driveway, the inevitable voice echoed in her mind.

[Ah, finally, you're heading back to work. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about the mission.]

"Oh, shut up," Jiyeon muttered, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. "I haven't forgotten, alright? I just had more important things to deal with."

[More important than fulfilling your mission? I think not.]

"Spare me the lecture. I'm on my way to the restaurant now, so can you maybe give it a rest for five minutes?" Jiyeon grumbled.

[Fine, fine. But don't think you can slack off today. There are still several dishes left to perfect.]

"I know, I know!" Jiyeon snapped. "You're like a mosquito that won't stop buzzing in my ear."

[Always the charmer, Jiyeon.]

Jiyeon ignored the system's sarcastic retort as she drove through the city, her mind already running through the list of tasks waiting for her at the restaurant. There were still a few dishes that needed testing, and they had to make sure everything was ready for the event. It was a lot to handle, but Jiyeon was used to the pressure.

When she finally arrived at

Flavor of Seoul

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, the restaurant was already bustling with activity. Chef Kang was in the kitchen, giving instructions to the staff, and the servers were preparing the dining area for the day's service. Jiyeon felt a sense of pride as she stepped inside. This was her domain, her creation, and despite the chaos, it always felt like home.

"Morning, everyone!" Jiyeon called out as she walked into the kitchen. "Let's get to work. We've got some serious taste testing to do today."

Chef Kang looked up from the stove, a smile spreading across his face. "Ah, Jiyeon, you're just in time. We were about to start on the new dishes."

"Perfect. Let's see what we've got," Jiyeon said, rubbing her hands together as she approached the counter. The day was going to be all about testing the remaining dishes for the event, which meant they needed to make sure everything was flawless.

The first dish up was a

kimchi-stuffed escargot

a bold fusion of French and Korean flavors that Jiyeon had come up with during a particularly wild brainstorming session. The idea was to combine the earthy richness of escargot with the fiery kick of homemade kimchi, wrapped in delicate pastry and baked to perfection.

Chef Kang presented the dish to Jiyeon, who eyed it critically. The pastry was golden brown, and the smell of kimchi mixed with garlic butter was mouthwatering.

"Alright, let's give this a shot," Jiyeon said, grabbing a fork and carefully cutting into the flaky pastry. She took a bite, her taste buds immediately assaulted by the tangy, spicy kimchi and the buttery goodness of the escargot.

She chewed thoughtfully, then nodded. "Not bad. I think the kimchi could be a little less sour, though. We don't want it to overpower the escargot."

Chef Kang nodded in agreement. "I'll adjust the fermentation process for the next batch."

"Great. Let's move on to the next one," Jiyeon said, feeling a little more confident now. The second dish on the list was a

gochujang-infused coq au vin

, a classic French dish with a spicy Korean twist. The chicken had been marinated in gochujang before being slow-cooked in red wine and aromatics.

Chef Kang placed the dish in front of Jiyeon, and she inhaled deeply, appreciating the complex aromas of wine and spices. She took a bite, savoring the tender chicken and the rich, spicy sauce that clung to it.

"This is good," Jiyeon said, her voice full of approval. "The gochujang adds a nice kick without overwhelming the wine. I think this one's ready."

Chef Kang grinned. "I'll make sure we have enough for the event."

Jiyeon was about to move on to the next dish when the system piped up again.

[You're making progress, but don't get too comfortable. There's still the dessert to perfect.]

Jiyeon groaned inwardly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. We're working on it."

The dessert in question was a

matcha and black sesame mille-feuille

, an intricate pastry with layers of flaky dough, matcha cream, and a rich black sesame filling. Jiyeon had high hopes for this one, but it was also the most challenging dish on the menu.

Chef Kang brought out the first attempt, and Jiyeon could tell immediately that something was off. The layers weren't as crisp as they should be, and the matcha cream looked a little too runny.

"We're going to need to tweak this one," Jiyeon said, frowning as she examined the pastry. "The dough needs to be flakier, and the cream is too loose. It's supposed to hold its shape."

Chef Kang sighed. "We've been having trouble with the humidity today. I'll try adjusting the baking time."

"Good idea," Jiyeon said, tapping her fingers on the counter. "Let's get this fixed before the lunch service starts. We'll have some of the regulars try it out and see what they think."

[Ah, using your customers as guinea pigs. Clever.]

Jiyeon smirked. "Better than relying on your annoying commentary."

As the kitchen staff got to work on perfecting the remaining dishes, Jiyeon stepped out into the dining area to check on the preparations for the event. She wanted everything to be perfect, not just because of the system's mission, but because this was her chance to showcase the unique fusion of flavors that had become her signature style.

After all, she didn't just want to impress the system she wanted to blow everyone away.

The restaurant filled with the lunchtime crowd, a hum of excited chatter mixing with the clink of silverware and the shuffle of feet. Jiyeon stood behind the counter, watching her staff move with precision, each server carrying trays laden with the fusion dishes she and Chef Kang had worked tirelessly on. Today was a test — the first time they'd offer these dishes to actual customers, and Jiyeon's stomach was in knots.

"Alright, let's see how they react," Jiyeon muttered to herself, eyes scanning the tables.

[Feeling nervous?]

"Shut it," Jiyeon whispered under her breath. "Let me focus."

The first table was an older couple, regulars who always ordered the usual Korean dishes. Today, however, they had agreed to try the

kimchi-stuffed escargot

and the

gochujang-infused coq au vin

. Jiyeon watched as the woman, wearing a light pink sweater, picked up her fork and hesitantly cut into the pastry of the escargot. The golden, flaky crust crumbled beautifully, revealing the kimchi and escargot nestled inside.

The woman took a cautious bite, her face tense, as if she wasn't sure what to expect. Then her eyes widened.

"This is… delicious!" she exclaimed, her voice cutting through the low din of the restaurant.

Her husband, a gruff man who rarely showed emotion, followed suit. He took a larger bite, chewing thoughtfully before nodding in approval. "Surprising. I didn't think escargot and kimchi would work together, but it's… good. Really good."

Jiyeon felt a wave of relief wash over her as she caught Chef Kang's eye across the kitchen. He gave her a small nod of acknowledgment, and they both returned their attention to the rest of the dining room.

At another table, a group of friends in their thirties were trying the

gochujang-infused coq au vin

. One of the women took a bite, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"I've never had coq au vin like this before," she said, looking at her friends. "The spice from the gochujang is amazing. It's rich, but not overwhelming."

Her friend, a tall man with glasses, leaned in and took a bite as well. "The chicken's so tender, and the sauce has this depth of flavor. It's definitely a twist on the traditional, but I like it."

Jiyeon could feel the tension slowly leaving her body. So far, the reactions were positive, but the real test was still coming — the

matcha and black sesame mille-feuille

. That was the dish she was most concerned about. The texture had to be just right, the balance of sweetness perfect. Anything less would be a disappointment.

She noticed a table in the back where two food bloggers were seated. They had ordered the mille-feuille, and Jiyeon found herself holding her breath as the dessert was placed in front of them. The bloggers immediately pulled out their phones, snapping pictures of the intricate layers of pastry, the vibrant green of the matcha dust, and the delicate drizzle of black sesame sauce.

One of them, a petite woman with brightly dyed hair, carefully sliced through the layers of the pastry with her fork. Jiyeon's eyes narrowed as she watched, every muscle in her body tense.

The woman took a bite and paused, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face.

"This is incredible," she said, her voice excited. "The pastry is so light and flaky, and the matcha cream is just the right amount of sweet. The black sesame gives it this earthy depth that balances everything out."

Her companion nodded in agreement, already halfway through his portion. "Yeah, it's not too sweet, which I love. You can really taste the layers."

Jiyeon exhaled a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Relief. Pure relief. She turned to Chef Kang, who was standing beside her, and they shared a silent look of triumph.

"They like it," Jiyeon whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Chef Kang grinned. "Told you it would work. We nailed it."

Around the restaurant, more reactions started coming in. A table of young office workers praised the

kimchi-stuffed escargot

, calling it "unexpected but genius." A group of tourists raved about the

gochujang-infused coq au vin

, taking photos and laughing as they tried to guess the ingredients in the sauce. The

matcha and black sesame mille-feuille

was easily the star of the day, with almost every table ordering it by the end of their meal.